Snow, Sunshine and Happiness

week one

2012-01-25T12:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome Abraham Aaron

2012-01-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

9.11 lbs, 20.25 inches

Abraham came into the world screaming and has been a blessing to our family. Ava loves being a big sister and is doing very well sharing mama and dada. Brahm is a very good baby. He loves to snuggle, coo and toot:) We are truly blessed and enjoy each day with our handsome baby boy and wonderful big sister.

He is almost here!!

2012-01-11T16:21:00.001-07:00

Oh my,

I have not blogged for many months, I just did not seem to find a minute to do so that I wasn't working, playing with Ava, getting ready for the baby or SLEEPING:) We are so excited to welcome our baby boy next Tuesday the 17th. I have a scheduled c-section at 9am and will be happy when he is here. Last week he measured 9lbs, so I am thinking we will have another large baby on our hands. This time we were smart and only purchased 3month clothing and larger:)

Ava is doing wonderful, she has a giant personality. Her favorite things to do are help, tell you what to do:), mimic, play with her dolls, play with playdough, play doctor, and play in her cardboard house. She is a busy bee, keeping everyone on their toes. Right now she is potty training and has atoddler bed in her room to get used to for when we have to make the transition. Right now she just pretends to nap in it and has everyone else pretend as well. She is also excited about the baby and can tell you where he is now, where he will sleep and where he will sit in the car. I think she will do amazingly well with the change. Simon and I watch what we say daily, because her comprehension is brilliant and she will often respond when we are not talking to her:) She has also started to repeat everything we say and can use Please, thank you and bless you in the right context.

At Daycare, her favorite friend is Isaac, she talks about him all the time and often mentions him when she sees the color blue. She also talks about Niece ( her teacher Denise) and Sue-Sue ( her teacher Susan) and seems to love going each day.

We are blessed to be bale to have Simon's folks here to help us out with Ava and with the baby when I go back to work after 6 weeks. It is nice not to have to put him into daycare until the 6-7 month period. We are also blessed to have my floks coming out to spend some time with us, Ava and the baby in January. I am sure my mom will get my house spick and spam:)

Hopefully more to come soon!!! I have not sent out my Christmas thank you's yet. Thank you all for the wonderful gifts for us and Ava, she loves playing with them all on a daily basis in her new playroom.

Bridget

Oh where have I been??

2011-06-28T09:12:00.000-06:00

Oh my it has been awhile my blog friends. We have been very busy here at the McFall household. The basement is close to being finished and we hope to move out of here and down south by August. Ava is doing well and is Miss Independent these days:) She loves to do everything by herself and often will shake her head no, if someone tries to do it for her, that's my girl!!

At her 15 month check-up she was 33in tall and 32lbs. She says about 7 words and receptively responds to many requests. She can unscrew anything, uses a fork and spoon, flips the pages of her books and gets into everything. She is close to walking and we are hoping she will be there soon enough, right now she is our knee walker, not wanting to crawl, so instead walking everywhere on her knees:)

We are enjoying playing with her and the beautiful Utah summer during our summer off.

Things she loves:
water ( tub and her 1st pool)
playing rough with daddy
her sippy cup
Drinking from a straw
books
kicking and throwing balls
playing with the dogs and feeding them her food
playing outside
talking walks in the stroller
observing other people ( all the time), she is very observant always taking it all in
playing with her friends at daycare
vegetables ( peas, corn, lima beans, carrots, etc..)
fruits
being silly
playing in her crib until mommy or daddy comes in to get her
anything that makes lots of noise
making silly faces
pointing to her body parts and your body parts as you say them
snuggling
pointing to pictures and having you say them outloud and saying the name of the picture and having her point.
Plus much, much more!!!
She is so much fun every day!!! We can't seem to remember our lives without her, it is amazing!

Apple blossoms

2011-05-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

We planted this apple tree 8 years ago when we moved here and this is our first year with blossoms. I wonder if we will have any juicy apples?

Walking on Sunshine

2011-05-14T12:23:00.000-06:00

This week we were finally blessed with some beautiful sunshine. Yesterday Ava came down with a low-grade fever and has been fine today so I thought getting her some fresh air in this beautiful weather would be nice!

cheese

Watching the little girl next door

getting sleepy

Dancing Queen

2011-05-14T12:18:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:55:00.000-06:00

Sunday best!!

2011-04-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

who me?

in or out?

Ava's 1 yr photos, click on link to view (only on blog for limited time)

2011-04-09T19:16:00.000-06:00

http://gingerbreadphoto.com/bm/

1st year check up

2011-04-07T11:03:00.000-06:00

Museum favorites

2011-04-07T11:01:00.000-06:00

SPRING BREAK = AVA 1 YEAR CHECK UP

2011-04-05T13:15:00.000-06:00

I am on a much needed Spring Break this week from school, Simon's break was last week, so it is just Ava and I hanging out together this week. Today we went for her 1 year check up (04/05/2011) although she turned a year on (3/16/2011) I scheduled her appointment so I did not have to take another day off from work. She is still measuring off the charts, yet leveling off in the area of weight. I know this is due to the amount of movement she gets during a day. It is getting very hard to keep up with her, I will often turn my head for a minute and she is off. She is a crazy crawler and cruiser. She can stand alone and I am sure will be taking her first steps soon, yet hopefully not too soon:)
Stats:According to doctor
28.5 lbs: slightly above 95%
31.5 inches above 95%
46.7 cm (head) above 95%
Language/social: above average ( says "mama, dada, cat, duck,goat, up, hi) Waves, hi-fives, blows kisses, gives real open mouth kisses:) and plays many hiding games, understands most of what is said by her reaction and response)
Fine Motor: above average ( has been picking things up with finger and thumb since six months, she can now open and close containers and doors: yes, we are in trouble:)
Gross Motor: average (crawls and cruises, can also stand alone for a few seconds, we are cherishing it, knowing when she begins to walk we will really have to chase her:)

Recently she has been into:
Putting things in containers, closing the containers and taking them out again
Cookie Monster
Pretend cell phone
Eating whatever mama and daddy are eating, I mean whatever ( garlic, tomatoes, you name it she will try it:) Yet her favorite foods are the fruit and she will always go for that first if left in front of her.
Singing and talking in the car with mom and dad.
When I tell her "no" doing it again with a slight smile.
Playing with our shepard Pan
Climbing on her chair and standing on it
Anything daddy is doing
books any kind, yet she seems to be into ones with animals or the hiding picture books more.
Being read to and sung to
Playing with other children and watching older children play
Anything with a loud noise or that she can make loud ( when we go out to eat, she will bang her sippy cup on the table just to listen and get a reaction, too much:)
Sippy cup and toddler snack cup that she can do herself, little miss independent these days.

I can't believe our baby is a toddler already, the first year has flown by for us and we enjoy watching her grow and her fun little personality take shape every day

Is it April or is it Autumn?

2011-04-05T12:53:00.000-06:00

Winter has been longer than usual here, with snow still flying in the air. In all areas we have received more than 100% of anticipated snow and rainfall. Although it is beautiful to look into the mountains, and Snowbird is expecting to be open into June this year for those Spring, I mean Summer skiers,We are all ready for the Spring weather to arrive and spend some much needed time in the fresh air.

Ava is 1 year old!!!!

2011-03-24T21:24:00.000-06:00

Ava is now one year old and still more fun every day. Somehow when she was little I called her my bugaboo, now for short we call her bug when she is being silly and bear when she is being cranky:) Last doctor's visit, this week she was 28lbs, we will not go in for her year appt. until next month for all the stats.

She loves:
Any book where she can turn the pages.
Milk
Giving kisses
Playing Kerplopy on the bed
Saying "mama, daddy, duck and cat"
sleeping in on weekends most days ( yesssss....)
crawling everywhere very quickly
Getting into anything she can get her hands on
giggling
new foods
music
soft fabrics
playing with other children
sharing food and toys
blowing kisses
giving high fives
shaking her head "no"
strawberries, strawberries and more strawberries ( this is what mommy and daddy brought in for her birthday treat to share with her friends) more pictures coming from daycare when developed.

Thank you all for the beautiful clothes and toys and money for my savings account, I love them all!!! Ava

One Year Photos:

strawberry cupcakes

yummy

playtime

2011-03-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

At the Treehouse museum

2011-03-05T22:35:00.002-07:00

March Madness

2011-03-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

This time last year we were blessed with the most amazing gift, our little girl. It is more fun and exciting each and every day as we watch her grow and develop. This month she will be turning 1 year old and moving up to the 12-18 month old class at school. After much thought, we decided not to have a full blown birthday party this year, instead I will be making a cake and Simon and I will be taking in the joy of her first year together. Although, I think she is going to enjoy playing with the cake:)

March is also a month for rememberance and celebration.
Happy Birthday: Mom, Rob, Nanny, Bumpa, John and of course our little Ava:)
As Pop's birthday rolls around, we remember him and all the joy he brought to our lives.

Baby times

2011-02-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

hey, where are you going!

so funny

yea!!!!

smiling

so pretty

chilin' with mom

reading foreign affairs, her favorite on the adult book shelf:)

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

As I opened my tired eyes slowly this morning and rolled over, I was in awe of what an amazing man I married. Although Valentines Day is just one day of the year, it is the constant love that it most important to most of us. It is not uncommon for him to surprise me with flowers, things I needed and things I have wanted every month of the year. It is for this reason that I am happy all the days of the year, feeling loved and cared for.

It is hard to believe that this time next month she will be turning a year old. I am excited to see how she responds to her first cake, yet also wish time would slow down so I could take in each day and moment for just a little longer.

Ava's 14 fun recent developments:
1. teeth: lots of them
2. Loves to brush her teeth
3. books, books, books! She can turn each and every page now
4. pulling herself up and cruising
5. talking up a storm, yet only she knows what she is trying to say
6. independent play
7. let me do it
8. I'd like to feed myself please
9. Saying "Daddy,Mama"
10. music and bobbing along with it.
11. people watching
12. blowing kisses and waving "hi"
13. snuggling
14. anything that is a "daredevil" activity:)

Big Girl:)

2011-01-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Mom, would you like me to get you some diapers?

Week in review

2011-01-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

My little Pats fan!

What a big girl

10 months, where does the time go?

2011-01-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ava turned 10 months yesterday and just like that is doing so many new things. She can pull herself up to sitting and to standing. Simon had to adjust the crib to it's lowest setting today, just in case she begins to stand in her crib soon.
Owie, Owie, Owie, Ava is cutting her top teeth and not liking it one bit:( Mommy and Daddy hope they pop all the way through soon:)

She is so much fun daily, always something new. We love every minute of it.

playtime

2011-01-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Out with the Powell's

2011-01-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Ava and Houston hanging out.